Cologne drug chaos: gang leader's father arrested!

Cologne drug chaos: gang leader's father arrested!

In the cathedral city of Cologne, the signs point to a storm. The region's drug war is reaching new dimensions as Cologne police and city officials strive to tackle the alarming problem. A few days ago, the father of the alleged gang leader, a restaurant owner from Cologne-Kalk, was arrested for money laundering in connection with drug deals. This sheds a bright light on the structure and machinations of the so-called “Kalker Gang”, which, according to witness statements, actively sold drugs, including on Cologne's Neumarkt. Cash was apparently hidden in simple shoe boxes, which underlines the bizarreness and at the same time the anarchy of the situation. As WDR reports, the number of drug addicts in Cologne is high, which leads to massive neglect and impoverishment in many places.

The drug trade in Cologne has reached not only a local but also a national dimension. In early summer 2024, the Kalker Gang followed a lead that led to the robbery of 350 kilograms of cannabis worth 1.5 million euros. It is suspected that a member of a Kurdish-Lebanese clan from Duisburg was involved in the robbery. The suspected gang boss Sermet A., only 22 years old, didn't wait long and sent members of his gang to the suspect's address. There, a 17-year-old detonated an explosive device - fortunately, the person living there was uninjured. Such actions show that the conflicts between drug traffickers are becoming increasingly brutal, and the police are warning of “extreme threat scenarios”, as can be read on Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

A network of violence

The investigations into the “Kalker Gang” reveal a huge network that operates not only in the Cologne area. After the failed robbery, a real drug war broke out, characterized by attempted murders, hostage-taking and explosive attacks. A case of hostage-taking in Bochum, where a couple was kidnapped, illustrates the brutality of the machinations. The deployment of a SEK to free the hostages shows how precarious the situation is. Welt reports that the Cologne police are increasingly monitoring the activities of the Dutch “Mocro-Mafia” and their influence on local drug crime. Oliver Huth, the North Rhine-Westphalia head of the Association of German Criminal Investigators, warns of a potential escalation in violence among drug traffickers.

The Kalker Gang's structures appear to be well thought out. Drugs imported from Morocco and the Netherlands reach the streets of Cologne's hotspots and local discos. Income is laundered through legal businesses, and no less than 250,000 euros went to arms purchases and fake drug deals. The investigators have to deal with a large number of suspects - over 40 people are suspected of committing the crime. Meanwhile, gang leader Sermet A. is in custody awaiting charges.

A call to action

The situation in Cologne is critical. The city and the police are intensifying their efforts to combat the drug trade as the gangs become increasingly brutal and violent. The background is not only the usual drug problems, but also a deeper entrenchment of organized crime that seems to have no end. Citizens and those responsible are called upon not to look away, because something is happening. The fight against drugs will be an ongoing and challenging process, but it is necessary to protect the city of Cologne and its residents. It remains to be hoped that the upcoming trials against the scene's masterminds will actually lead to noticeable relief.